


Water Bluffs

by FluffyRobi



Category: Free!
Genre: Actor AU, F/M, M/M, My first free! fic, everything but kou is gay, makoto and haruka are basically the characters they play
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-01
Updated: 2013-12-04
Packaged: 2017-12-28 02:39:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/986692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FluffyRobi/pseuds/FluffyRobi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Makoto Tachibana and Haruka Nanase have been friends forever and nobody can bear to separate them-- even in work. The two try to fix their awkward, friends-bordering-boyfriends relationship all the while slowly rising to stardom. Sometimes fame comes with consequences that don't please your friends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Act One: Walking on Glass

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Free! fic, so please be kind u.u

Makoto Tachibana leaned against his best friend, Haruka Nanase, sighing. They only had an hour for a break, then back to filming. There was a cute little coffee shop that Haruka more than adores. So, of course, Haru had convinced Makoto to take him there despite them frequently spending their time there together already. The owner, Mrs. Tamura, was an elderly old woman who always made sure that the booth in the back was open for the two actors. It was shielded from any windows, and the front door, so no insane fans hungry for the hot actors could find them as they peacefully sipped their coffee, which was more often than not, on the house.

 

“Haru, dear, are you going to finish your bagel?” Mrs. Tamura had come up to the two, her eyes crinkled at the corners in a friendly smile. “I made it with mackerel, just how you like it.”

 

Ignoring the quirked eyebrow from Makoto, Haruka nodded, his usually impassive face giving a pleased smile just for the lovely old woman.

 

“I was enjoying the coffee first. It’s a lovely brew.”

 

The woman smiled at the praise before nodding and shuffling away with a few “good, good”s. Makoto happily chuckled to himself, picking a slice of mackerel off of the bagel and popping it in his mouth.

 

“Mrs. Tamura does make an amazing breakfast, doesn’t she, Haru?”

 

Haruka merely nodded in response, finishing his coffee and starting on the bagel.

 

~~~

 

Back at the recording studio, Nagisa was flittering about with Rei, worrying about the absence of the two main characters.

 

“Where the hell is Nanase?”  Manager Gou- oh, pardon, _Kou_ \- growled out.

 

Poor make-up artist Rei shivered under her glare.

 

“I-I think he went out with Tachibana, ma’am-”

 

“Get them back! We start recording in 15 minutes, and I will _not_ have the same fiasco we did last Wednesday.”

 

Nagisa instantly shoved Rei out of the way and waved off an apology to the infuriated woman.

 

“We’ll get them back, don’t worry, Miss Gou!”

 

“It’s Kou!”

 

~~~

 

Nagisa burst into the little coffee shop, panting.

 

“Makooo! Haruuuu! You’ve made Gou upset again! If you don’t come back now, she’s gonna get really mad at you and take you guys off the show!”

 

Rei followed the blond boy, sighing and muttering something about how since they were the main characters, they couldn’t actually be taken off the show.

Makoto put a hand behind his head and laughed nervously.

 

“Ah, did we really spend that much time here? Sorry, sorry.”

 

Haru stayed silent, merely sending a glare at poor Rei, who turned away and swallowed hard.

 

“Yeah, Mako, you need to come back now!”

 

Nagisa bounded towards the two actors, grabbed Makoto’s hand, and forcefully dragged him out of the booth. Makoto waved a hand towards Mrs. Tamura, who was still smiling with those crinkled old eyes of hers, and told her to just put it on his tab before taking Haru’s hand and pulling him along with him.

 

~~~

 

Now that the two main characters were back at the studio, Kou instantly started filming.

 

Their show, Despairing Hope, was about main character Kyoukin Setsuma, who was a transfer student into Hope Town. There he meets residential punk Maruka Hikyu, and the two instantly form a mutual dislike for each other. The forest just outside of town, often called Despair, had plenty of rumours circling around it. As the rumours start to come true, Kyoukin and Maruka must join together to keep the town from being overcome by the ‘despair.’ Kyoukin Setsuma is played by Haruka and Maruka Hikyu is played by Makoto.

 

“Kyou, what are you doing in here?” asked Maru.

 

Kyou turned away and muttered something unintelligible.

 

Maru placed a hand on Kyou’s shoulder, forcing him to turn back around and look him in the eye.

 

“Why are you here? You shouldn’t be in the forest at night.”

 

“Why are you, then? I was looking; the gossip really piqued my interest.” replied Kyou tartly.

 

Maru shrugged, rolling his shoulders.

“I’m here because I actually know my way around this forest. Too many people always get lost here, like you would if I hadn’t found you.”

 

He took Kyou’s hand and tugged him out of the clearing that they were standing in, with the younger boy resisting the entire time.

 

“Where are you taking me?” Kyou huffed, trying to slip his wrist out of Maru’s actually rather strong grasp.

 

“Out of the forest. You’re just going to get yourself killed.”

 

“It’s 12 at night, what the heck would kill me?”

 

Maru stayed silent, that is, until Kyou (or rather, Haru) sneezed loudly, to which he gave a prompt “Bless you!” and then fell silent. Kou waved her fan, yelling “cut, cut!”

 

“Sorry, Miss Kou! I couldn’t help it; it was instinct,” Makoto apologized as the lighting went back to normal and cameramen shut off their cameras.

 

Kou rolled her eyes.

 

“Yes, yes, I know that you and Nanase are basically a married couple, but can you at least _try_ not to act like it on set? We need sexual tension between Kyoukin and Maruka, not Tachibana and Nanase.”

 

"Yes ma'am. Gou ma'am. Manager of the show ma'am. My all mighty lord ma'am," Haru said in a mock salute, instead of Makoto replying. Everyone stared dumbfounded at the raven haired actor. Well, not Kou. Her face was as blank as Haru's. They were both in some sort of intense eye battle, and everyone held their breath. This was like putting the last card on top of a very large house of cards; we all know that shit's hardcore intense.

 

"Kou. My name is Kou, Nanase," she finally replied, a small frown on her face.

"Also, don't get sassy with me just because you aren't getting some-" Haru dramatically bowed and cut her off.

"All mighty lord Kou; you seem to be on edge. Could skulking around with that tall, handsome flame crotch without your brothers knowledge be getting to your conscious?”

 

There was silence for a few more moments, before a large round of "ooooooohhhhhh's" were uttered from all over set. Haruka rarely got like this, but when he did, he was bad. On the other hand it proved that something was definitely wrong.

 

Kou had a small idea as to what was bothering her star actor, but stayed silent in favour of narrowing her eyes.

 

"Take five, boys. Nanase, take 15."

 

Makoto raised his hand.

 

"Ah, Miss Kou-"

 

"Fine, you too, Tachibana. Calm your boyfriend down."

 

"We're, ah, not actually dating," Makoto mumbled as he followed his friend, who was storming out of the studio.

 

~~~

 

Haruka lived about 10 minutes away from the studio, luckily for him, and he had retreated home to curl up in a small basin of water. Makoto found him in said basin, chuckling darkly to himself about the "sad bucket" before offering Haru a hand out. The other man just narrowed his eyes and slumped his shoulders.

 

"Haru, you're going to get pruney again," Makoto pointed out as he crouched down. Haru grunted in reply, turning away.

 

"Haru!" Makoto jokingly imitated Nagisa, making his friend crack a small smile.

 

"Go mess with Makoto's makeup, Nagisa. I'm busy," Haru replied. Makoto raised an eyebrow.

 

"Busy with what, osmosis?"

 

"Communing with water over our shared dislike for our manager."

 

Makoto sighed and sat down next to Haru, outside of the basin.

 

"Haru, Kou really just wants us and the show to succeed. If it wasn't for her, we wouldn't even have any jobs, right?"

 

Haru recalled the day Kou did in fact stop them on the street and all but bully them into working for her. He shook his head, sending tiny droplets of water everywhere. Makoto was right; the acting industry was on a low right now, and it was rather hard to get a part. They were lucky Kou had recognised them from some previous auditions.

 

Haru was going to reply, but Makoto's phone rang, cutting him off. The taller man sighed and held out a hand to his friend.

 

"That must be Kou telling us to come back. If we want to keep our jobs, we should probably listen, right, Haru?"

 

The way Makoto smiled made Haru's insides feel bubbly and his face hot. Turning his head, he took his friend's hand and helped haul himself out of the basin, water sloshing everywhere. Makoto didn't notice the red cheeks Haru sported, but instead stared at his pants, tutting.

 

"You need to change. Kou would kill you if you got the floors wet."

 

~~~

 

Kou paced the studio, wringing her hands. Her boyfriend and manager for another show, Seijurou Mikoshiba, placed a reassuring pat on her shoulder.

 

"You just need to apologise, that's all. You didn't know how touchy Nanase is about his feelings."

 

Kou turned around, grinding her teeth.

 

"I need to call my brother."

 

“What is he gonna do, discipline Nanase?”

 

“No, he’s going to get Tachibana to do something about his attitude,” Kou answered, dialing a number in her phone.

  
“Ah, yes, hello, brother? I need you to take care of something.”


	2. Act Two: Butterfly Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin is called in to talk to Makoto, and that he does-- but things go wrong when Makoto is stopped on the streets by a girl. Haru sees, and insanity ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the switching from Haru to Haruka. If it bothers you, please tell me! Thanks you guys <3

Rin Matsuoka stopped in front of the recording studio, sighing. This was the fifth time in two months he had been called in to deal with Haruka’s rapidly increasing pouting sessions. Or rather, get Makoto to do something, as Haru refused to listen to anybody but the olive brunet.

 

Sending a text to Makoto, Rin walked into the lobby, glancing around. The receptionist, Chigusa Hanamura, waved sweetly to the man and asked him if he was here to see Mr. Tachibana.

 

“Yeah, is he still working?”

 

She nodded.

 

“Mr. Nanase and Mr. Tachibana should be getting off in an hour. Would you like me to call you when they leave?”

 

Rin shook his head.

 

“Nah, I’ll just go ahead up. Send my sister a message, kay?”

 

The receptionist nodded and smiled.

 

~~~

 

When Rin got upstairs, Kou stopped all filming to tackle her brother. The elder sibling patted her head, waving half-heartedly to Makoto, who was having a one-sided conversation with a rather displeased Haruka.

 

“Oh, hey, Rin,” Makoto called, making his way over to the red-head. “Why are you here?”

 

“You and I need to have a talk,” Rin growled, ignoring the way Haru looked up and glared at him.

 

“A talk? Right now?”

 

“Yes, right now,” Rin sighed, “I’m sure sis will let you off the hook.” With that, he glanced down at Kou, who nodded fervently.

 

“Everybody has the rest of the day off! Except for the writers. And Rei,” she barked, making a group of people huddled around the snack table, and the make-up artist who just couldn’t catch a break, groan. Nagisa grinned, grabbing onto Rei’s arm.

 

“I’ll stay with you, Rei! I can help you with your makeup application…”

 

The way the blond trailed off suggestively reminded Rin of how much he hated/loved going to school with the little devil. Now he seemed to have someone else to bother, so Rin cocked an eyebrow at Makoto, motioning that they should get going.

 

Makoto simply nodded, giving Haru a reassuring smile before following Rin out.

 

Haru pursed his lips, eyes growing dark, causing the interns and makeup artists around him back away slowly, terrified of the gloomy and murderous aura that he seemed to project.

 

~~~

 

Figuring Haruka would be offended if Makoto and Rin used the coffee shop as their meeting spot, the two had to find another place to talk. They decided on the bar down the road, as it'd be easier to converse properly with less filters between mind and mouth, Rin offered. The way he said it made Makoto uncomfortable.

 

"Alright, Makoto."

 

Rin sat down at the bar, boring holes into the taller male, who was trying to situate himself on the tiny stools. Makoto glanced up, blinking.

 

"Yes?"

 

"You haven't said a thing about Haru yet."

 

"Usually one waits until the drinks have been ordered before they start talking business."

 

Rin growled.

 

"This isn't business, this is about your stupid ass relationship with that water-obsessed fail of a tsundere," he muttered. Makoto winced almost invisibly.

 

"I wouldn't call it much of a relationship.."

 

"That's because you're both too busy walking on glass around each other to do anything! Listen, Makoto, do you have feelings for Haru?"

 

"I-I think..." Makoto mumbled quietly, blushing.

 

"There is no think, Tachibana. Do you, or do you not? If you don't, stop leading him on, because you'll break his heart."

 

"W-wasn't this supposed to be about Haru's attitude towards Kou, not my emotions?"

 

"Ah, that? Kou just needs to apologise to him, and she will. You, however," Rin grabbed the bloody mary that was pushed towards him, "actually have a problem."

 

Makoto tentatively sipped the scotch he ordered.

 

"What's the problem?"

 

"You! You know Haru's never going to make the first move, so that means you have to!" Rin refrained from slamming his drink down on the table. "Don't you get it, Makoto? You two are rising stars. You'll get famous and have girls and boys hanging all over you, and there will be no time for each other when you have five shootings a day. Take advantage of what you have now."

 

Makoto stared at Rin, dumbfounded. Rin was serious about this, and it scared him. Would he and Haru actually not have time for the other when they got famous? He didn't want that. He had thought that they would get closer the more they acted together.

 

"Haru's gonna get those crazy fangirls that'll stalk him. What are you gonna do about it?"

 

"Nothing, unless he wants me to," Makoto replied, partially lying.

 

"That's bulllshit and we both know it. You'd be the first to complain to Kou about how much you hate Haru's fans."

 

Makoto winced again, trying ignore how true what Rin said was.

 

"Makoto," Rin's voice was softer now, "It'd be best for the both of you if you do it soon."

 

The brunet nodded slowly, drinking the rest of his fourth glass of scotch before getting up.

 

"I'm going home now."

 

"Get Haru to drive you," Rin called out, but his warning fell on empty ears and space as Makoto shuffled out the door.

 

~~~

 

Haru sat in his sad bucket, waiting for the tall man he knew would come strolling through the gate any minute with eyebrows knitted and a worried frown. He curled up into a ball, eyes trained on the gate. Makoto was late; he was never late.

 

He got up to go to check on his phone, and found a text. It wasn't from who he was expecting, but it might provide an answer...

 

~~~

 

Makoto sent an obviously intoxicated text to his intern to get his car; he was walking home tonight. The intern quickly replied, worried about how far of a walk it was and that he should call Nanase. Makoto shook his head and didn't reply; instead, he continued to amble down the street.

 

It wasn’t long before he was stopped by a rather pretty, pin-up looking girl. Her face brightened in recognition.

 

“You’re Makoto Tachibana!”

 

He nodded with a grunt, silently hoping she was _not_ paparazzi-- Gou was sure to fire him if she saw photos of him drunk.

 

“I’m a huge fan!” she went on, and Makoto gave a relieved sigh.

 

“A-ah… Hello..”

  
“Are you okay?” The girl looked worried, and rightfully so. According to Haru, Makoto always got rather flushed when intoxicated.

 

Ah, right, Haru. Shit.

 

“Y-yeah, I’m fine. It’s just just been a rough day,” he laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. She seemed to buy his explanation and proceeded to offer him a ride home.

 

“No thank you, really, I enjoy walking at night. Besides, I’m heading over to a friend’s.”

 

“Oh, that’s too bad… Perhaps I could treat you to lunch tomorrow, then?” The girl seemed hopeful, and Makoto felt awful to say no.

 

“Look, as beautiful and sweet as you are, I have to say no.”

 

“Someone else?” she asked. He winced at how spot on she was.

 

“Y-yeah… I’m really sorry. I should probably get going now. Have a nice night.”

 

She seemed crestfallen as they parted ways, but Makoto tried to brighten his own spirits with the thought of talking to Haru.

 

~~~

 

Haruka stopped his car to watch the exchange between Makoto and the girl, eyes narrowing. He had gotten a text from one of the interns assigned to Makoto and was told to go pick the brunet up, so he had left to find him, and did- walking home from the bar, he presumed.

 

While he couldn’t hear what they were saying, Makoto looked drunk and the girl looked hopeful. Closing his eyes, Haru tried to stop his paranoia from taking over. When he opened them, he saw Makoto and the girl parting ways, the male looking somewhat happier.

 

He snapped.

 

Pulling into reverse, Haruka sped off, biting his lip so hard, blood was drawn. His original plan was to pick Makoto up and deliver him safely home, but that two-timer could walk for all he cared.

 

_‘Two-timer? You aren’t even dating.’_

 

Haruka ignored his conscience, instead slamming his car door when he got out and storming into his house.

 

~~

 

He'd been sitting in the sad bucket for three hours now, glaring at the wall as he sank deeper into the water, seeking comfort. This whole situation was just awful. Ever since the show began gaining a fanbase for the series, things had just fallen apart. Now, Haru could barely even contain his emotions about it all.

 

This was too much to think or to feel in general. It wasn't any of Makoto's fault, he knew, but he couldn't help but to blame his friend. Haru should just forget it; act like he didn't love him and push forward and support him in whatever relationship he pleased-- even if it wasn't with him.

 

Haruka lightly splashed some water from the basin in a mixture of anger and sadness.

 

"At least you will always be with me, right?" he asked, staring down at the mostly still water. After waiting a few seconds, he sighed and got out of the water. It was getting late and he needed to go to bed anyways, to sleep off these... unwanted feelings.

 

He was about to wrap himself in the comfort of his downy blankets, but was stopped by a knock on the door.

 

"..Haru...Haru...are you awake?" Makoto asked with slurred words as he knocked at the door again. Haruka sighed. Of course, no such luck.

 

Haruka stood in his hallway, debating whether or not he should let Makoto in or just go to bed. He glanced at the clock, grinding his teeth. It was only 9, and he knew that his friend had an awful alcohol tolerance.

 

Walking over to open the door, Haruka found the taller male leaning against the door frame, face flushed and eyes closed.

 

"Haru, I'm cold. Can I come in?"

 

"No."

 

It came out before Haru could stop himself.

 

"It's.... dirty. I didn't clean," he added, trying to get his friend to stop looking so taken aback.

 

Makoto giggled, and Haru grimaced. He hated that noise. It wasn't… Makoto.

 

"Haru, you never clean, remember?"

 

"Go home, Makoto. You're drunk."

 

"I know, and I want to talk to you."

 

"I don't feel like talking now. Go home."

 

"Haru..."

 

Haruka tried his best to make his face impassive, but he was bothered by the heartbroken look Makoto was wearing. There were a good five minutes of silence before Makoto mumbled something incoherent and turning to shuffle away to his house, which was incidentally next to Haruka's.

 

Haru was about to turn around and go back inside, but was stopped by a hand on his wrist. He blinked and started up at Makoto, who then leaned in and gave the shorter male a peck on his lips.

 

“M-Makoto…?”

 

“Goodnight, Haru~,” Makoto mumbled as he ambled away.


	3. Act Three: Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones, but When You Forget, it Hurts Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto suffers from post-hangover forgetfulness, Kou wonders how that pool even got into her closet, and Mrs. Tamura always knows best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the belated and short chapter! I had a lot of homework this week (=^u^;=)  
> Anyways, hope you enjoy!

Morning came too slowly for Haruka, who was awaiting the moment when he would get to see Makoto at work. Well, usually the brunet would wake Haru up and the two would enjoy a breakfast together, but Haruka had extra work today (Kou’s payback for insulting her boyfriend) and he was sure that Makoto’s hangover was going to be pretty bad.

 

At the studio, Kou raised an eyebrow at Haru’s unusual vibrant work ethic.

 

“What happened last night?” she asked after he had yet to make a snarky comment towards her all morning.

 

“Nothing,” he replied, unsure whether Makoto would want to disclose anything to the general public yet.

 

It was then that the olive brunet walked in, rubbing his head. The manager looked up with a worried expression.

 

“Makoto, are you okay?”

 

Said male glanced up, quirking an eyebrow at her.

 

“Ah, yeah. Just a little headache.” When Makoto saw Haruka, he brightened up a bit. “Haru! Thanks for driving me home last night.”

 

Haru narrowed his eyes. “I didn’t.”

 

Kou sensed the disappointment flowing from Haruka, and began scooting out of the room. Makoto tilted his head.

 

“Then how did I get home? I remember Rin telling me to call you..”

 

It was amazing how a couple of sentences could completely ruin your whole month. All the happiness from last night drained from him. Slipping on his usual stoic facade, Haru replied, "you never called. You walked home and couldn't open your door, so, you knocked on my door and I helped you back inside, that's all."

 

Makoto smiled nervously.

 

“Ah, okay. Thanks, Haru.”

 

“You don’t remember anything from last night?”

 

“Not really. I don’t even recall how many drinks I had. My fault for getting carried away,” he chuckled apprehensively.

 

Haru looked down before walking away, heading to Kou’s office. There, he pulled an inflatable kiddie pool out of her closet, against her protests, and began blowing it up. She gave in and gave Haruka a pitcher of water to fill the pool up with.

 

“Just 10 minutes, and don’t get water anywhere but the pool. We actually have to work today,” she warned, before leaving to talk to some writers about the script.

 

20 minutes later, Haruka was still sitting in the makeshift pool, so Kou made Nagisa go get him.

 

“Haru, are you okay?” the blond asked when he found his friend alone.

 

The actor shot Nagisa a short, half-assed glare, which failed to deter the persistent makeup artist.

 

“Haru, tell me! I know you’re upset about something, and sulking alone won’t help.”

 

Haruka stayed silent, only looking away. Nagisa crossed his arms.

 

“Fine, if you don’t tell me, I’ll start voicing my guesses, and I bet they’re pretty spot on.”

 

“Swear yourself,” Haruka mumbled. His friend smiled and nodded excitedly.

 

“I swear to secrecy!! What’s wrong? What happened last night?”

 

“.. Makoto was drunk, and he came by my house. I told him to go home and sleep it off, and he kissed me before he left.”

 

Nagisa was standing still, soaking it all up.

 

“And he doesn’t remember anything?” he asked tentatively.

 

“That, or he’s playing it.”

 

“Mako wouldn’t play you, Haru. He likes you too much.”

 

Haruka didn’t say anything, so Nagisa kneeled down and hugged his friend.

 

“You and Mako will get through this, trust me. Just be confident, okay, Haru?”

 

Haruka nodded slowly, not meeting Nagisa’s eye.

 

“Haru! I forgot!” Nagisa exclaimed, clapping his hands to his mouth. “We go on in 5 minutes!”

 

~~~

 

Episode five of Despairing Hope involved Kyou becoming suspicious of Maru, who seemed to know the forest _way_ too well.

 

Apparently, Haruka’s down-in-the-dumps mood had only made his acting better, instead of worse and out-of-character like he had thought it would. Kou gave him two thumbs up, exclaiming that “this is what I want to see on screen! This is the Kyou that we need!”

 

However, not everyone was pleased with Haruka’s performance. During break, Makoto pulled him to the side.

 

“What’s wrong, Haru? You’ve been out of sorts since this morning. Did I do something? Did Nagisa do something? Did Kou say something?”

 

“Yes,” was Haruka’s reply, before he turned and walked stiffly away, leaving Makoto wondering what he meant.

 

~~~

 

Makoto decided to stop by Mrs. Tamura’s coffee shop for a bite to eat during the break. The old woman sat down in his booth, peering at him.

 

“Something’s bothering you, dear,” she started. Makoto sipped at his coffee, nodding.

 

“Yeah, something is.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Ah, it’s Haru..”

 

Mrs. Tamura nodded.

 

“Yes, I was expecting this,” she said. Makoto blinked.

 

“Expecting it?”

 

“You give him those eyes, dear.” The woman smiled sweetly. “Is he upset with you for something?”

 

“Uh, yeah, I think I did something wrong, but I don’t know what it is, and he won’t tell me.” Makoto sighed.

 

“Just be patient,” she advised.

 

"How?" he asked, exasperated, "he won't even look at me now, and I don't know if I can live without him."

 

"You should try telling him that."

 

The idea froze him. Makoto had simply assumed that Haruka had just _known_ , like he always had. The thought of actually telling him something like that scared him for some reason. Why?

 

Mrs. Tamura just smiled at Makoto's confused expression.

 

"You'll know what to do when you're ready."

 

He sighed and fished in his wallet for a 20.

 

"Here's for the coffee," he said, handing her the bill before standing up and leaving.

 

~~~

 

"What happened?" Rin growled. He had been forced to a diner to talk by an overly energetic Nagisa.

 

"I promised Haru I wouldn't tell anyone else, but you have to do something! Mako and Haru have to have butterfly thoughts about each other, not be upset and confused!" Nagisa whined, eating two pieces of pizza at once.

 

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Rin chided. "And I can't help if I don't know what's going on."

 

"Ask Haru then. I swore to secrecy."

 

Rin knew that trying to get Nagisa to spill was almost impossible; he was very proud of his secret-keeping skills, and for a good reason. Might as well ask Haruka himself.

 

"Alright. How can I help, then?"

 

"Make them confess!"  Nagisa furrowed his eyebrows when Rin balked. "Or at least get Mako to apologise? I'm sure Haru doesn't want him to know, so just say something."

 

"You want me to lie to Makoto."

 

"No, I want you to fix their relationship! They've hurt each other long enough by not admitting to each other that they'd make the perfect couple."

 

Rin sighed, picking a piece of pepperoni off of the pizza.

 

“Alright. Give me a bit to think up a plan.”

 

Nagisa grabbed another slice, lept up, and gave the redhead a big, greasy hug before darting out the door.

 

“Thanks, RinRin!”

  
Rin merely stared at the pizza, narrowing his eyes at the nickname.


	4. Act Four: It's Always Been Too Late

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haruka reminisces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really proud of this chapter! Sorry about it being so late. I wrote it all today and hurried to upload it, so I'm sorry if there are some errors. Please point them out so I can change them!

_I never smiled when I felt happy. I never frowned when I was upset. My expressions never betrayed how I was actually feeling._

 

_For the longest time, I was pleased with my outcast status. It meant I didn’t have to busy myself with other people, or worry about appearances or actions. I did what I wanted, when I wanted._

 

_But I am human, and eventually the instinct to be social called out from the depths of my heart. I tried to ignore it, to push it to the back of my mind, but it always bubbled up again, making me open my mouth and say something stupid, such as a fact about myself that was nowhere near relative to the conversation topic, or something else like that._

 

_I became even more of an outcast than I was before, and now I loathed it. I hated how it was weird to like water the way I did, how it was weird to lock away my emotions._

 

_People would always stop me in the hallways, asking me “why don’t you smile, Nanase?”_

 

_“Why don’t you smile?”_

 

_I wanted someone who could read me like a book, but I didn’t know it then. I thought I hated everybody, everything. I wanted to be left alone, to be ignored, so I could think without being asked "what's wrong, Nanase?"_

 

_I never realised what I craved until he came around. Mr. Goody-two shoes, who was afraid of thunderstorms and the dark and large, barking dogs, but who was never afraid to stand up for me._

 

_Makoto Tachibana._

 

_He came into my life like a whirlwind- if whirlwinds were polite and terrified of everything. He took it upon himself to take care of me, to make sure I started doing my school work and that nobody picked on me for my girly name, despite having one himself. But nobody seemed to notice his._

 

_We grew up together, he and I. It became a natural occurrence to see us holding hands, or sleeping in the same bed. One time, my mother told me that what I was doing was a sin, that I'd go to hell for it, and that I wasn't allowed to see Makoto anymore._

 

_I ran over to Mrs. Tachibana and tugged on her shirt, and she told my mother that nothing was wrong with our relationship._

 

 _Over time, we grew closer, and I began to have glimpses of what I wanted. At first, it was a friend. Then a best friend. Then, someone who_ knew _me._

 

_Someone like Makoto. Makoto, who could tell what I was thinking simply by looking at me and my expressions, which then developed to easily judging by my posture. Makoto, who would call me during typhoon season to tell me that there was a storm heading our way, and if I wanted him to come over, which was his way of asking for someone to hold onto during the particularly bad thunderclaps._

 

_Makoto, who wormed his way into my heart the moment he smiled at me and called me Haru._

 

_~~~_

 

_He was, admittedly, my saving grace in high school. He made sure I did my work and that I went to school, even when I told him to leave. He was annoying, he was bothersome and loud and said the most stupid things, and he was a constant. The constant I needed, as my parents had left, many of my ‘friends’ had left, the goldfish and the neighborhood strays left._

 

_I refused his friendship at first. I’d make my schedule so out of place that he’d have to leave me behind- but he never did. He waited, or he’d catch up to me._

 

_“Haru, wait for me!” I’d hear him call out. I never stopped, but I always slowed down. I don’t know why._

 

_Then Nagisa came along. He was always excited, too hyper for me. I didn’t like him, but Makoto seemed to tolerate him, so I figured that maybe I could return a favour and put up with him. So I did, and Nagisa became less of a nuisance. I could tell he looked up to me, like a brother, and I simply accepted it. Makoto was overjoyed to see that I was talking to more people than just him._

 

_Rin was next. He transferred from Australia, and practically threw himself into our lives. I’m sure not even Makoto could’ve stopped him if he wanted to- not like he did. He welcomes everybody into our small group as if it was an open door party, which I did not approve of. I only wanted Makoto, and Nagisa. Eventually, Rin, too._

 

_But it was always Makoto I went to in the end. It was always his house I walked to when I couldn’t sleep, it was always him I texted whenever I had a nightmare, and vice versa._

 

_~~~_

 

_I remember the last year of high school very well. Nagisa was still a 3rd year, so he didn’t have to worry about college, but Rin, Makoto and I did._

 

_I think Makoto had the biggest trouble deciding where to go. It wasn’t until we were dragged into Theatre that the two of us discovered our potential as actors._

 

_It was he that chose where we went. He was surprised when I applied for the same college as him, but I told him that I wasn’t going to lose him to the real world. He laughed and asked me why I was saying such a stupid thing._

 

_My own words, pushed back in front of me. I didn’t know whether to be happy or offended._

 

_I think he knew._

 

_~~~_

 

_We roomed together in college. Rin had gone to some fancy actor’s school, but Makoto and I chose a simple theatre college that would get us where we wanted to go._

 

_We were always where we wanted to be, though. Together._

 

_There was no “you” and “I” with the two of us. It was only “us,” “we,” “ours.”_

 

_No “he” or “me.”_

 

_For five years, we shared everything. Clothes, shampoo, food, beds, space, air. Thoughts and emotions, too. It had gotten to the point where we didn’t even have to look at each other to tell what the other was thinking. It was simply a routine._

 

_“Let’s do this,” he’d ask silently, and I’d reply with a roll of my shoulders. Sure._

 

_We were picked on, ridiculed._

 

_“Gay,” the other students would say. “You’re both faggots, and you’re going to Hell.”_

 

_It was not the first time I had been told that, nor was it the last. But all I could think was that Hell would be okay, as long as Makoto was with me._

 

_And I could tell that Makoto felt the same way._

 

_~~~_

 

_Mrs. Tachibana told us to ignore the people who bullied us._

 

_“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!” she’d exclaim, clapping her hands in a hint of finality. “Just repeat that to yourselves!”_

 

_So I did. I’d whisper it to him when he would curl up in our bed, crying. Another person had painted “homo” on our dorm door. I could tell it was hurting him, and I wished I could do something._

 

_So I acted._

 

_~~~_

 

_Spring Break of our 3rd year, Makoto went to visit his parents. I said I’d join him as soon as I could. I just had something I needed to take care of, first._

 

_I found them laughing in the fourth science wing, and they reeked of alcohol._

 

This will be easy _, I thought. They saw me walk up and instantly started calling out raucously, shouting out insults that I assume were supposed to hurt._

 

_Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me._

 

_I took a bottle of vodka out of one of their hands, and they all stopped their hollering to give me weird looks. I paused._

 

What would Makoto think?

 

_And then I slammed the bottle on one of their heads._

 

_~~~_

 

_His name was Akimoto, and he was sent to the emergency room. The others were too afraid to rat me out, so they kept their mouths shut and said he had slipped and hit a bottle. Nobody believed them, but nobody pressed the case._

 

_The bullying Makoto had been suffering stopped, and he began to smile more, and so did I, until a few years ago._

 

 _He stopped smiling at_ me _. Well, the way he used to. This smile was broken, not the one I cared for._

 

_It wasn’t his._

 

_I tried to pursue what was wrong, but he wouldn’t tell me._

 

_Time went by, and I learned to accept this new smile. It was not what I wanted, but I was not going to invade Makoto’s privacy. His thoughts were blocked, so I figured he didn’t want to talk about it._

 

_This barrier was new, and not welcome. I did not like it. It cut between us like a wall, masking every single one of his expressions and emotions._

 

_Then he got drunk. Then he kissed me. I was excited, for once. I wanted to see him again, to kiss him back._

 

_But he didn’t recall anything that night. It was then that I swore to never let him near alcohol again._

 

_He seemed happier. A weight was off his shoulders, a weight that I let him bear for far too long. But he couldn’t say what that weight was._

 

_~~~_

 

_Sticks and stones may break my bones, but when you forget, it hurts me._


	5. Act Five: It's A Fairytale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The cast reviews Episode 5 of Despairing Hope, and a new actress is revealed. She just might be able to give a few valuable words.

Fix the relationship, he said. It'll be easy, he said. Rin sighed loudly. Everything was easy to Nagisa, but that doesn't mean it actually is.

 

"Okay, look, Haru, listen to me."

 

He spoke to empty ears as Haruka turned around, refusing to face Rin.

 

"If you don't look at me right now, I will start singing 'you can't stop the beat' and you bet you can't stop the motherfucking beat."

 

That at least got the raven-haired actor's attention, but he graced Rin with a stifling glare, still not speaking a word.

 

"Are you listening?" Rin asked before continuing. "God. You're out of control, Haru. You and Makoto. What the fuck happened."

 

"A thing," Haru replied tartly.

 

"What thing? What could Makoto have done to make you throw such a huge hissyfit?"

 

"You don't have to know."

 

"Yes, I do, if you two wanna stay actors! You're causing such a fuss that the writers are actually thinking about using you two as models for the weird love shit going on in Despairing Hope."

 

He paused, waiting for Haruka to speak. When he didn't, Rin sighed again.

 

"You two are going to give me heart attacks, I swear.”

 

"Good, maybe you'll stop bothering me," Haru interrupted.

 

Rin frowned and crossed his arms.

 

"This isn't a joke, Haru. Both of your jobs are on the line, and if you don't fix this problem, you'll have an even bigger one. What are you gonna do if you Kou decides that your unrelenting tiptoeing is more harm than help? Without this job, Makoto would probably have to go work for someone else, and then you'll be left all alone..." Rin trailed off, raising an eyebrow knowingly.

 

Haruka narrowed his eyes, trying to resist punching Rin, who patted Haru's shoulder before standing up, off of Kou's desk.

 

"Just remember what I told you. Kay, Haru? Don't hurt Makoto."

 

And then he left, Haru staring as the door swung shut. _Hurt Makoto? Why and how would I do that?_

 

~~~

 

They sat down, Makoto, Haru, Kou, Director Amakata, and the newest addition to the writing team, Aiichirou Nitori, to watch the recording of episode five.

 

It started off with Kyou going to school, like normal. He was surprised to see that most of his class missing, though.

 

Except for Maruka.

 

"How come you always avoid being captured?" Kyou asked with an eyebrow raised.

 

"I could ask you the same thing," replied Maru, crunching on a granola bar. "It's never you that gets taken. Shame, really." He leaned forward, offering Kyou one. "I think I'd like living without a pestering blister."

 

Kyoukin narrowed his eyes, not moving to take to proffered food. "You seem to hate me, yet you always follow me around. Is there something you need to tell me?"

 

"Yes, I dislike you and don't trust anything you say. You should treat me the same way, seeing our circumstances. You're weird, Kyoukin Setsuma."

 

"You're creepy, Maruka Hikyu."

 

Maru smirked. "No, what I want to do is creepy."

 

"And what would that be?"

 

Maru stood up and walked over to Kyou, as if he was going to leave, but paused right next to the other boy's ear.

 

 _"I want to dissect you every thought. I want to find out what makes you special, even if I have to kill you myself,"_ he whispered before strolling out the door.

 

Kyou stood stock-still, unsure what to think. He glanced around, figuring that since most of the remaining students were wondering where the teacher was, it'd be okay for him to follow Maru.

 

So he does.

 

When he catches up to the other boy, outside the school, he grabs Maru’s shoulder roughly, turning him around.

 

“Listen up, Maru-”

 

Kyou was cut off by a loud screeching of his name.

 

“Kyoukin~!”

 

Before either boy knew what was happening, they were both on the ground, with a giggling mess on top of them. Pushing up, Kyou rolled over to see a familiar girl staring at him.

 

“Y-Yumi?” he stammers out. The girl grins.

 

“Hi, Kyou!”

 

“W-what are you doing here? You should go back home; it’s not safe!”

 

The girl, Yumi, tilted her head to the side. “Why wouldn’t it be safe-”

 

“People have been disappearing,” Kyou explained slowly. “You need to go home. I don’t want you to die.”

 

She frowned, crossing her arms. “If I was going to leave right away, I wouldn’t have paid for the train ticket here. I’m staying, Kyoukin, whether you like it or not. Now,” she said, smiling at Maru, “Why don’t you introduce me to your friend?”

 

Kyou grimaced, muttering, “he’s not my friend,” before sighing. “This is Maruka Hikyu. He’s, ah..”

Maru interjected by placing an elbow on Kyou’s shoulder.

 

“I’m Kyou’s only friend here. Poor guy isn’t too social. Good thing you have me, eh?”

 

Kyou’s jaw dropped and he stared at Maru in shock.

 

“You’re my _what_?”

 

“Only friend here,” Maru repeated, looking worried. “Are you ears okay? Do you need to de-wax them?”

 

Yumi tilted her head, blinking.

 

“You two seem to be getting along very well. Maybe we can all hang out together? Is there ice cream?”

 

“Yumi, it’s the middle of November-”

 

“No excuses! I want ice cream! Come on, Kyou, there has to be an ice cream shop in this town! Where is it?”

 

“Ah, wait, Yumi-!”

 

Kyou nearly fell to the ground as Yumi yanked harshly on his hand. Maru managed to catch him just at the right moment so he didn’t epicly face plant into the ground, then followed the two as the exuberant girl tugged Kyou along.

 

~~~

 

Amakata nodded slowly as the credits rolled.

 

“It’s good! Nanase needs to tone back his grimacing a little bit when Aki touches him. Aki, stop staring at Nanase like he’s a Greek God.”

 

Makoto frowned as Haruka glared at Yukinamu Aki, the actress hired to play Yumi Amahisa. She stared right back at Haru, her eyes sparkling with something that made Makoto a bit uneasy.

 

He sighed internally, almost laughing at how much their new co-star was like Haru. She was quiet, came off rude quite often, and even almost looked like him, with her short, black hair and impassive face. She was actually a good conversational partner, as Makoto had learned, finding out that the best way to spark her interest was to mention food, particularly donuts, or swimming. Once she was intrigued, she would stop at nothing to prove her point.

 

He actually liked her. Yuki, as she forced everybody to call her, was an interesting person. Someone he was willing to get along with. He just wished that she didn't like Haru so much.

 

~~~

 

"Haruka-kun."

 

Haruka gave an annoyed glance at Yuki, who had followed him out into the break room. He knew that she, like he and most of the others working this show, was from Japan, but she still had a heavy accent, and a habit of using suffixes. He turned away, nodding curtly.

 

She took it as an invitation to speak.

 

“Haruka-kun, I will ask a question.”

 

He grunted his acknowledgement, so she continued.

 

“You are seeing Makoto-kun.”

 

And yes, that was how Yuki spoke. Questions were simply words phrased in a different order to her, so she did not bother with them.

 

However, her ‘question’ made Haruka tense up.

 

“No,” he replies tersely. She blinked, narrowing her eyes.

 

“Yes. I need not ask. You are together.”

 

“No,” Haruka repeated, “we are not.”

 

“Explain.”

 

And there was his co-star’s rudeness. He was wondering when it would rear its head. He had seen Makoto flinch from the brash tone she seemed to bear whenever she wanted something.

 

“He doesn’t see me like that.”

 

~~~

 

Yukina was confused. The two stars were always together, so it was hard to get any alone time with Haruka.

 

“What do you mean. He looks at you much.”

 

“Yes, he does. But he does not like me like that.”

 

“But you do.”

 

Haruka sighed, nodding slowly. Yuki tilted her head.

 

“Tell him, I think.”

 

“What?”

 

“Tell him. People are stupid. You have to say things.”

 

By the thoughtful expression that flashed across Haru’s face, she knew that she had given him an idea. She hoped that he didn’t dislike her as much anymore.

 

“Will that work?”

 

Yuki nodded. “It will, I think. It is not too late.”

 

That, apparently, struck a chord with her co-star. His face turned sour, and he snorted.

 

“No, it is too late. It’s always been too late.”

 

She could tell he was surprised by what she said next.

 

“It is for Makoto-kun. Not for you. Say the thing. It will help.”

  
With that, Yukinamu turned around and exited the room, swiping a donut on her way out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hei! Sorry about the long wait and short chapter!
> 
> A little info on Yuki, so you don't get too confused: she's an actual roleplay character of mine! I'm planning to use her for the next few chapters, but this is probably the only majour role she'll play in the MakoHaru relationship (other than the flowergirl at their wedding perhaps)  
> If the way she speaks confuses you, I'll explain the best I can. You see, Yuki doesn't do questions. Her voice is rather flat-leveled, so it's kinda hard to tell when she's actually asking something! She's also not very good with English, or just speaking in general, so her words often come off muddled and weird. 
> 
> She's so much fun to write, so I'm sorry if I got carried away! ^^;
> 
> Anyways, thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy! I always appreciate feedback~!


	6. Act Six: A Story is a Form of Art

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haruka takes Yuki's advice to heart and decides to act.

Haruka would've actively taken Yuki's advice if Makoto had actually been in the studio when he returned. When he pressed Kou for information on where Makoto had gone, she just shook her head and shrugged. With a sigh louder than would be expected of him, Haru hurried out, ignoring Kou's cries.

  
  


Haruka found Makoto in the coffeeshop, sipping a latte and listening to music. When he across from the actor, Makoto jumped slightly in his seat.

 

"Ah, hey Haru. How's it going?"

 

Haruka thought for a minute, tapping his recently manicured nails on the table. When he finally spoke, his question caught his friend by surprise.

 

"What would you do if we weren't actors?"

 

Makoto blinked.

 

"Oh. Uh, I don't know. I'd want to work as a barista, maybe. Mrs. Tamura could use some help. What would you do?"

 

Haru paused, slowing taking in a breath. Makoto tilted his head.

 

"Haru-?"

 

"I don't know. You dragged me into the theatre business because you were interested and didn't want to go alone."

 

"Yes, that's true-"

 

"I didn't want to, but I did it to see you smile the way you did whenever you got the part you wanted."

 

There was silence, so Haruka continued speaking.

 

"I did it to make you happy, because we were at a hard point in our life. You needed something to take your mind off of your father transferring to Tokyo."

 

More silence from Makoto.

 

"The same thing happened in college. You were being picked on, so I stopped it, and took your mind off it by getting you into all of the school musicals.

 

"I still want to know how you did that," Makoto intervened, finally speaking.

 

"It's a secret," Haruka replied, "and it worked."

 

"It did."

"Would you say we're at another hard point?"

 

Makoto blinked, furrowing his eyebrows.

 

"What do you mean? We have our dream job with good friends, and we're best friends-"

 

There is was. The mixture of wistfulness and regret when he said 'best friends.'

 

"That's it, then," Haru murmured. "We're not best friends."

 

With those words, it looked like Makoto's entire world shattered. Haru yelped in his throat, trying to stop Makoto from looking like a kicked puppy.

 

"N-no, Makoto, I mean.. we're..."

 

Wow, who knew speaking was embarrassing?

 

"People.. say we're more.."

 

"More what?" Makoto pressed.

 

"More than friends."

 

"Like.. brothers?"

 

Haruka stopped and stared at Makoto, who blinked in total confusion.

 

"No," Haru murmured. Realisation dawned on Makoto face as he sucked in a breath and blushed darkly.

 

“H-Haru..”

 

Haruka looked down, fingering the hem of his shirt. He felt like such a school girl, the way he was blushing, the way Makoto was blushing.

 

“W-what are you implying, Haru?”

 

Shit, he had to say it outloud? Haru shot Makoto a half-assed glare.

 

“I’m saying… that we’re acting like we’re from a bad soap opera.”

 

“Feels more like a fantasy,” the taller man said quietly. Haruka tried to quell the squirming of his stomach.

 

“We’re… being stupid,” he sighed. Makoto nodded slowly. “And we should do something about it.”

 

“You can tell me about what _really_ happened when you helped me home the other night,” Makoto offered.

 

The dark-haired actor sighed again, closing his eyes and thinking before starting slowly.

 

“I.. went to go pick you up, because you intern asked me to. Then I saw you talking with a girl, and you came away looking pretty pleased with yourself, so I… drove home.”

 

“Haru..”

 

“And then you came to my door, and asked to come in because you wanted to talk. I said no, and just before you left..”

 

Makoto leaned forwards, eyes wide. “What happened?”

 

“.... you kissed me.”

 

It was dead silent for a few minutes, both men stuck in place, to afraid to move or say anything, until Mrs. Tamura came up with a muffin.

 

“It’s our last muffin of the day, and I figured you two might want it. Good luck, dearies,” she said with a smile before placing the plate on the table and waddling away. Makoto paused, looked at the baked good, then laughed softly to himself.

 

“Well, I think Mrs. Tamura know’s what’s going on,” he chuckled. Haruka smiled and nodded.

 

“More so than we do.”

 

“Maybe we should change that.”

 

Haruka blushed softly and looked down.

 

“M-Makoto…”

 

Said male looked at his friend.

 

“Yes?”

 

“I-if.. You want to kiss me… Anytime.. you can,” Haruka muttered, gathering his things. “I’m going home.”

 

“Thank you, Haru. Don’t stay in too long, or else you’ll get pruney.”

 

As Haruka left the shop, he couldn’t help but to marvel at how Makoto knew he would soak in the sad bucket. How well did Makoto actually know him?

 

~~~

 

As Makoto walked to his house, he thought about what he had said when referencing their lives.

 

 _“It’s fantasy,”_ he had said. Now felt felt like that didn’t say it properly. Right now, he felt more like..

 

“It’s a fairy tale,” Makoto said out loud in wonder. That’s exactly how it felt.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so late, and short! I've been having a lot of trouble with school... But winter break is almost upon us, and I will get back to writing! Thank you for reading!


End file.
